Looks like Fallen Enchantress has some competition from Paradox

How many threads on this do we really need?

https://forums.elementalgame.com/411612

Successfully updated karma reason!

It looks like a good game but I disagree that they are similar.

Warlock appears to have been simplified and streamlined to allow reasonably fast game-play and also to make it accessible for multiplayer. FE on the other-hand is much more customisable and immersive making it much more suited for single-player.

I'm looking forward to the release of each game very much but I'm not expecting the same game experience at all. I believe Stardock is moving in the right direction now with Elemental and feel that there won't be a lot for them to learn from Warlock. And visa-versa. Warlock is the next extension of Legacy with a randomised world and so it has learned its own lessons through that development.

If FE has MoM as its spiritual ancestor, then Warlock's spiritual ancestor would most likely be the old Fantasy General game by SSI. Different games.

I'm really happy it looks like we'll have 2 turn-based fantasy strategy games out this year (and that isn't including Conquest of Elysium 3 which is also a very good addition to the TBS fantasy stocks).

Successfully updated karma reason!

Yeah, I don't think there's much to learn from Warlock. Maybe how cities will look. Although the games are in roughly the same genre, they play very differently.

Edit: But I'm curious what you think, Replicators, that they did "right" and could be brought into FE.

Successfully updated karma reason!

I like tactical combat way too much to get very excited about Warlock.

But the UI and graphics of Warlock look way better than FE. A bit crowded, but they seem a more functional. As an example, I just watched a short demo on youtube and noticed they show unit paths before the unit moves, not after. A small favorite nitpick of mine..

Successfully updated karma reason!

Quoting Heavenfall,

reply 3

Yeah, I don't think there's much to learn from Warlock. Maybe how cities will look. Although the games are in roughly the same genre, they play very differently.

Edit: But I'm curious what you think, Replicators, that they did "right" and could be brought into FE.

Graphics/Engine/UI Optimization. Current Fallen Enchantress runs poorly, especially near late game, focuses on wrong areas of graphics usage (Too much details on towns, too little details on terrain, shaders, and textures), and the UI is often plagued with long wait times.

Multiplayer might be another, although we have not seen what Warlock had to offer. Still, it was very nice they offered it.

Also, I apologize for repeating a topic, I didn't see any before.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Quoting Replicators,

reply 5

Graphics/Engine/UI Optimization. Current Fallen Enchantress runs poorly, especially near late game, focuses on wrong areas of graphics usage (Too much details on towns, too little details on terrain, shaders, and textures), and the UI is often plagued with long wait times.

I've actually thought about this very same thing: focusing on areas that are not important. It seems - I may be wrong here - that they are spending a huge amount of resources making tiny details on units and towns. I usually play zoomed out and even if I didn't, I don't really care if a cap is red or not. Some folks do, I guess, but is it really that important to spend so much on?

The engine displays different levels of details on different zoom levels, but all the resources still seem to be in memory all the time and drag the game down.

Most of this is guesswork of course, but guesswork based on Frogboy's posts.

Quoting Replicators,

reply 5

Also, I apologize for repeating a topic, I didn't see any before.

I'd say don't worry about it. There was just one thread before and this one seems to be taking another direction. Fistalis may have come across more bluntly than he meant.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Quoting Vallu751,

reply 6

I'd say don't worry about it. There was just one thread before and this one seems to be taking another direction. Fistalis may have come across more bluntly than he meant.

Ya, .. was just pointing out there was another topic on it. (far as I care you can spam them)

I do come off abrasive many times. (also there is an opposite thread in the Paradox forums for Warlock and they don't allow links to FE.)

As to warlock.. I'm offput by the 1UPT mechanic.. its not a Mechanic I think can be done right in a random map/4x type game. (I'm also offput by the number of similarities to civ V)

Successfully updated karma reason!

Quoting Vallu751,

reply 6

The engine displays different levels of details on different zoom levels, but all the resources still seem to be in memory all the time and drag the game down.

I have 6GB of ram, and have plenty to spare while running the game. The biggest problem imo is the CPU intensive rendering, and thusly affecting the GPU utilization.

Cape colors like you've mentioned don't eat up processing power, however the high polygon count for towns do.

Imo, they should improve the Textures, as most PCs have more than enough GPU Ram and Texturing units to handle reasonable textures, certainly more than what is presented.

Then add features such as REAL shadows, be it dynamic or static, bloom, and maybe HDR.

Whatever it is, as long as the game feels smooth and polished. Sins of a Solar Empire was by far the smoothest game from Stardock, granted by different developers. Take a page from their book.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Warlock is a VERY simple game compared to most of Paradox's other games like Hearts of Iron or Europa. Hearts of Iron is so complex it takes weeks to learn the basics.

It is based in the Majesty world. Something Majesty needed, a bit more control than flag dropping. I played all the Majesty games and it needed a bit more control than flags.

It will do fairly well but will only be as sucessful as the Majesty games were. Although Paradox did recently make Defenders of Arcania set in the Majesty world for XBox. Fallen Enchantress will sell more copies simply because of the customization you can put into the game.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Alstein

Join Date 07/2004

+55

Given how Majesty 2 was, I'm skeptical about this game- that was so disappointing.

I know Brad is going to get this game, but I'm trying to be smarter about my game purchases these days.

FE will sell more copies because it's the bigger, better experience.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Meh, it's not necessarily a competition. I pre-ordered warlock for the same reason I pre-ordered E:wom - it's a fantasy strategy tbs game.

I'm glad there are two games from that genre coming out this year that appear to play fun in beta.

I agree that the graphics look better in warlock, but FE still "wins" because of customization. IMHO, the customization is the only thing that FE really has that is "unique". Also, when I play warlock I often get the sense that I'm playing chess. Like Fantasy wars before it, too much unit strength lies in traits. It is greatly a matter of opinion, but I prefer the tactical combats in FE (although Derek has mentioned they'll be boosting weaknesses for stuff now, so I am vary it will be for the worse...). And finally, the 20 second wait at every end of turn, which is unacceptable (may change when it gets more polished).

I wish FE would take a few things from Warlock (although they are not the first to use these mechanics):

- the choice of what building to construct on world resources. When we find a gold deposit or an iron deposit, we only get a single choice of building to build on it. Boring.

- multiple strategical maps (obvious really)

Successfully updated karma reason!

The company making this game is Ino-Co. Yes, they made Majesty2 but they also made Fantasy Wars and Elven Legacy which are both more relevant to this game genre. Those were both good, solid TBS game franchises so I expect that Warlock:MoTA will be pretty good given their track record with TBS.

Another major difference with FE not mentioned in the posts above is that Warlock does not have hero/champion units like FE does.

FE and Warlock will be considerably different in the way they play but hopefully both very fun in different ways. I'll certainly be picking up Warlock when it comes out on May 8. There aren't enough of these types of games being made anymore and I plan to support any company that makes them.

Successfully updated karma reason!

I hope both games do well and if they are both good, I feel that our TBS fanbase will happily buy both. To me that's not a competition. I imagine both dev teams will play each others games, just for the shear fun of playing TBS games.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Quoting Vallu751,

reply 4

I like tactical combat way too much to get very excited about Warlock.

But the UI and graphics of Warlock look way better than FE. A bit crowded, but they seem a more functional. As an example, I just watched a short demo on youtube and noticed they show unit paths before the unit moves, not after. A small favorite nitpick of mine..

I agree also Warlock does not have as many factions to choose from. I too love Tactical combat which sadly Warlock does not have but the Warlock graphics are a lot better than FE but then again I never liked the WOM/FE graphics they look to cartoonish to me. But FE is getting better in that realm.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Istari

Join Date 05/2001

+20

See https://forums.elementalgame.com/411612 for discussion on Warlock: MOA

Successfully updated karma reason!